Razor-strops



UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. SHAFER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

RAZOR-STROPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,577, dated December 14, 1880.

Application tiled October 21, 1880.

To all whom it may concern i Beit known that I, CHARLES T. SHAFEE, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Razor-Strops, and that the following is a full and clear description of the same.

RaZor-strops composed of a strip of proper leather attached at its end only to the frame ot the strop and subjected to a greater or less degree of tension by means of stretching-screws are in common use. rIhe ancient prototype of this class of strops is a plain. strip` of leather fastened at one end to the Wall and the other end held in the hand of the user. rIhe curvature of the strop over the back and edge of therazoris thus regulated at will. Such strops are still in use among barbers.

My invention combines theportable character and economyr of material ot' the firstnamed, with the facility of control of the last named, and in addition it presents greater economy in cost of production and greater ease and facility of handling.

It therefore consists ot' a stropframe of some light and proper material, having at one end a shoulder for the attachment of the strop and its support clear from said frame, and at the other end a hinged block with a proper clamp for the other end of said strop and a handle or grasp for the hand contiguous to said hinged block, the hinge being below the line of draft of the strop, whereby the tension of the strop continually tends to lift the block from the handle and against the grasp of the operator, so that the samemay be controlled by the fingers or thumb to increase or diminish the tension of said strop.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will particularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is an isometric perspective ot' my strop.

A is the strop-frame, preferably made of some proper wood, though it may be made of such other available material as fancy may dictate.

b is a shoulder or projection at one end of' the frame A, to receive and support one end of the strop O. At this end of the frame the strop may be, and commonly is, attached by nails, though other means may be employed, if preferred. f

At the other end the frame A is fashioned to form a gripe or handle, d, and in front of (No model.)

saidhandle the straining-block E is hinged to the frame, as shown. A thumb-piece, g, projects from the block E, so that when in use the position ot' the said block may be controlled at will. llhe thumb-piece may extend over the gripe d, but cannot then be so effectually controlled.

The strop O may be attached to the block E by any suitable means; but it is preferable to make the attachment easily adjustable, because the strop will constantly be undergoing a process of stretching, and will require to be frequently taken up. I therefore have placed the swinging clamp-loop I upon the block E to hold the strop securely While in use and permit it to be drawn in and shortened at any time without detachment of parts.

When in use the tension ot' the strop C will be controlled entirely by the thumb or fingers upon the thumb-piece g. The elastic resistance of the strop and the pressure of the razor combine to pull the block E over and cause the strop to become loose, and this force is counteracted to such degree as may be desired by the pressure of the thumb upon the thumbpiece g, so that the strop, while under the ra zor, may be momentarily tightened or slackened, as desired.

In the drawing the strop is represented double, the two sides being1 duplicates, and both covered by the foregoing description.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A strop, G, and strop-frame A, provided with a shoulder, b, for attachment and suspension ot the strop U at one end, combined with a pivoted or hinged block, E, for attachment of the strop G at its other end, said block E being hinged below the line of draft, whereby the tension ot the strop continually tends to lift the block from the handle and against the grasp of the operator, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A strop-frame, A, provided with shoul ders b at one end and the pivoted block E at the other end, adapted to be controlled by the finger or thumb while iu use, combined with the strop O and the strop-clamp I, whereby the stropmay be tightened or loosened at will, as set forth.

GHAS. T. SHAFER.

Witnesses CHAs. P. REMsBURe, OSCAR T. MARTIN.

IOO 

